WSOPE 2009 Main Event Picture Book

Like we've said before, looking at pictures is just easier than reading a bunch of complicated words.

We spent the last six days at the Casino at the Empire covering the 2009 World Series of Poker Europe and we amassed quite a collection of photos along the way.

We start with the one above, shot through the viewfinder of the ESPN camera covering the close-up shot of Barry Shulman moments after the win.

If you're on the main blog page now click through to the post page itself to see the Main Event story play out picture-book style.

Make sure to click on each photo to blow it up big-like!

The Casino at the Empire is such a good-looking place it's tough to take bad photos. Having the TV lights made it even better. You can see the main feature area in the photo on the left, and one of the outer tables to your right.

Some photos we like just because they're unusual. we're not sure what Huck Seed was describing in this photo but we think he was trying to do that thing where you rub your stomach and pat your head. He was having trouble getting it right.

Some photos we just like because they look cool and dramatic. Like this one of Josh Arieh. The lighting and colors in the Empire make for a lot of these.

This one of reigning world champion Peter Eastgate was taken from across the room through a bunch of cover.

On the right you see Brandon Adams enjoying a massage. The massage girls ended up in a lot of our pictures, purely by coincidence of course.

Unlike in North America the massages here aren't charged on a per minute basis. It's actually an honor system that allows you to pay whatever you think it was worth.

It took five full days of solid play to get to the final table and we were left with an amazing lineup.

Daniel Negreanu stood to overtake Jamie Gold in all-time tournament winnings while James Akenhead and Antoine Saout had the chance to build on their November Nine status.

When it got shorthanded the crowd-favorite was The UK's Praz Bansi, pictured left.

Despite winning a bracelet in 2006 and being an excellent player he's not too well known. More performances like the one he put on here at the WSOPE and that's going to change.

On your right is Jason Mercier. He came into the day as a huge chip leader. Based on that, and his unbelievable record, he was the favorite to take it down.

In the end it came down to Daniel Negreanu and Cardplayer Magazine owner Barry Shulman, and two more interesting stories.

Barry's son Jeff is currently waiting to play the WSOP Main Event November final table. He's also got a WSOP bracelet on his wrist from a Stud Hi-Lo event 2001.

Negreanu, by making it to the final two here in London, officially became the leading all-time tounament poker money winner, overtaking Jamie Gold.

The heads-up match was unreal. If luck ever chose someone to win a poker tournament it was Barry Shulman at this final table. Not to say he played badly. He just really had luck on his side.

The photo on the left shows one of many suckouts. Negreanu was clearly feeling the frustration.

On the right we see the heads-up match and part of the crowd that was railing it. People were pretty much crammed into every spot in the room and many stayed until after 5 a.m. when it finished.

Negreanu's best efforts proved inadequate and Shulman took it all down. Here are the classic winner photos.

You can check out all the photos we took by clicking through to the photo gallery from the event.